Dual purpose grenade

ABSTRACT

A dual purpose grenade having a shaped high explosive charge for effectiveness against lightly armored targets, the said shaped charge having embossed walls for effectiveness against personnel.

nite States Messineo atent [1 1 [4 Dec. 24, 1974 DUAL PURPOSE GRENADE [75] Inventor: Joseph R. Messineo, Clifton, NJ.

22 Filed: May ll,l967 21 Appl. No.: 638,705

52 U.S.Cl .."...102/s6,102/7.2,102/67,

Robertson [02/67 Pigman 102/7.2

Primary Examiner-Verlin R. Pendegrass Attorney, Agent, or FirmEdward J. Kelly; Herbert Berl; Edward F. Costigan [57] v ABSTRACT 102/24 HC- [51] Int. Cl. .Q F42b 13/50 58 Field of Search 102/72, 24 HC, 56,64, A dual Purpose grenade havlng a PF hlgh explo- 102/67 sive charge for effectiveness against lightly armored targets, the said shaped charge having embossed walls 5 Reftences Cited for effectiveness against personnel. UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,003,082 9/1911 Z'iegenfuss 102/7.2 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures I a r a v ii: I: 1 a f. 1' I e ,s u \I:" F p I r 1 6;

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INVENTOR. Joseph R. Mess/baa f [am v mmm 0511241874 3,855,933

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INVENTOR. Joseph R. Mess/n90 off-Win S :m,

DUAL PURPOSE GRENADE This invention relates to a multi-purpose missile.

It is an object of this invention to provide a dual purpose grenade which may be delivered from an air-toground missile delivery system.

Another object is to provide a grenade having effectiveness against personnel and lightly armored vehicles.

A further object is to provide a grenade of improved construction, low fabrication and maintenance cost, high durability, and facile in use under a wide variety of service conditions.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be more fully appreciated as the same become better understood from the following detailed description and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the device of this invention in the unarmed position.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the device in the armed position.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the device of FIG.

One of the most difficult enemy positions to destroy due to its location is the emplacement on the far side of a hill or mountain.- With this view in mind, the missile of this invention was conceived for an air-to-ground missile delivery system. In actual use, artillery shells of the carrier variety are fired over the enemy emplacement. At a predetermined time and altitude the missiles herein described are deployed 'from the carrier in somewhat of a dispersed pattern and thereupon gravitate towards the target area. Upon deployment from the carrier, the pressure due to nesting is removed and,

as a result, a plurality of vanes open in a radial fashionv the missile, upon impact, contacts the surface of a lightly armored vehicle, it will effectively damage or destroy the same in addition to effectively destroying, maiming,' or otherwise creating. havoc with nearby enemy personnel as well aspersonnel within the vehicle.

The grenade of this invention, as shown in FIG. 1, is provided with a canister 11 containing, in series, a spring retarded firing pin 12, a sliding detonator 13, a booster l4, and a shaped highexplosive charge 15. The interior of the high explosive charge is provided with a copper-like cone 16, while the outer surface of the charge is surrounded by a perforated or embossed wall 17 to provide controlled fragmentation when the missile explodes. The cone 16 of the shaped charge provides effectiveness against lightly armored targets, while the embossed mass provides effectiveness against personnel.

The grenade is also provided with a plurality of spring actuated vanes 19 which are pivotally mounted in spaced relationship around the periphery of the upper end of the canister as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In the unarmed position, the spring actuated vanes 19 are held against the outer surface of the mid-section of the canister 11 by a cylindrical sleeve 21 which circumscribes the vanes and the lower half of the canister. The sleeve is secured to a base 22 forming an open end cylindrical cup within which is mounted a spring 23. In the unarmed state, the spring 23 is maintained in the helicoid or compressed state by the inward pressure of nesting against the base 22 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the armed state, the pressure due to nesting is released and the spring 23 expands thereby pushing the base 22 away from the canister 11 and moving the sleeve 21 in a downwardly direction along the longitudinal axis of the canister 11 to the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

In operation, the missiles or grenades are placed in nesting alignment in a carrier type artillery shell. The pressure of nesting maintains the grenade in the unarmed form as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. After the shell is fired, it will travel to a predetermined position in space, at which time, the carrier will deploy the grenades in somewhat of a dispersed pattern in the air. As the pressure due to nesting is released, the cylindrical sleeve 21 will move along the longitudinal axis of the canister due to the expanding pressure of the spring 23 on the base 22 as described. This action will continue until the sleeve 21 is prevented from further movement by a plurality of stops 25 which determines its maximum travelled distance. As the sleeve moves longitudinally along the axis of the canister 11, the pivotally mounted vanes will be cleared and will pivot in an upwardly and outwardly direction to a position above the canister 11 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. When the vanes 19 are in the position shown, they will tend to orient and stabilize the airborne gravitating missile in flight so that the base 22 of the device will be in position to impact with the target.

As the vanes 19 move in an outwardly direction, a pin 27 which holds the spring activated sliding detonator 13 in the unarmed position as shown in FIG. 1, will be withdrawn and the detonator 13 will slide into position under the firing pin 12, as shown in .FIG. 2. Thus, the airborne gravitating missile willbe armed while in the air prior to contact with the target.

Upon impact with a target such as a lightly armored vehicle, the sleeve 21 will maintain the canister 11 a sufficient distance (stand-off) from the target to produce good penetration upon explosion. Locking tabs are provided to maintain the cup in its extended position upon impact with the target. Due to inertia, upon impact, the firing pin 12 will continue to travel in the direction of the gravitating flight of the missile and will set off the detonator 13 which in sequence will initiate a booster 14 thereby actuating the high explosive charge 15. When the high explosive charge is set off, the shaped copper-like cone 16 will form a high velocity jet in a downwardly direction thereby penetrating such vehicle. As an added advantage, upon explosion of the charge, the embossed wall 17 will break due to strain into minute fragments of controlled size for effective destruct capabilities against any personnel that maybe within the immediate area. Thus, the device of this invention provides an area coverage weapon to be fired indirectlyfrom an artillery shell.

Obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

I claim:

l. A dual purpose grenade which comprises;

a base,

a hollow cylindrical sleeve of open end construction secured in axial alignment to said base,

of which said cylindrical sleeve.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said spring is in the expanded state and said cylindrical sleeve is moved in telescopical fashion along said canister to a stand-off position.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said cylindrical sleeve is held in the stand-off position by a plurality of locking tabs positioned in spaced relation around the outer surface of said canister.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein said vanes are unrestrained and extend upwardly and outwardly from said pivotal point on said canister. 

1. A dual purpose grenade which comprises; a base, a hollow cylindrical sleeve of open end construction secured in axial alignment to said base, a spring means mounted in said sleeve against said base, a canister having a lower and upper end, said lower end of said canister insertably mounted into said sleeve against said spring, said canister containing, in series, a firing pin, a detonator, a booster, and a shaped high explosive charge, and a plurality of spring actuated vanes, each of which having an upper and lower end, said upper end of said vanes being pivotally mounted on said upper end of said canister, said lower ends of sAid vanes being restrained in position adjacent to the body of canister by said cylindrical sleeve.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said spring is in the expanded state and said cylindrical sleeve is moved in telescopical fashion along said canister to a stand-off position.
 3. The device of claim 2 wherein said cylindrical sleeve is held in the stand-off position by a plurality of locking tabs positioned in spaced relation around the outer surface of said canister.
 4. The device of claim 2 wherein said vanes are unrestrained and extend upwardly and outwardly from said pivotal point on said canister. 